During the month of August 2013, the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs will be offering 14 special programs at the six museums that it operates across the state.

Highlights of the month include a series of Aug. 3 programs on the Prohibition era in Delaware presented at First State Heritage Park locations in Dover including Bell House, the Johnson Victrola Museum,  Legislative Hall, and The Old State House. Interactive performance/presentations at The Old State House will feature historic-site interpreters exploring the state’s ratification of the 18th amendment, its attempts to enforce the law, and its ratification of the 21st amendment repealing Prohibition; while the Johnson Victrola Museum will present “Speakeasy,” a musical presentation by DonDel productions in which the museum will be transformed into a speakeasy (minus the alcohol) featuring 1920s smooth blues.

On Aug. 10, Dover’s John Dickinson Plantation will present “Raiding the Mansion—Plundering the House of all its Provisions,” a program in which visitors will learn about the Tory raid on the home of the “Penman of the Revolution” through a special tour, and through examination of letters and primary documents.

Finally, on Aug. 17, the Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes will present “Founding of the Colony of New Sweden,” a lecture by Bill Hutchison, education coordinator of the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, who will discuss the 1638 establishment of Fort Christina, the first permanent non-native settlement in Delaware. The lecture is presented in conjunction with the month-long visit of the tall ship Kalmar Nyckel to Lewes.

Following is a full listing of the division’s special programming during August 2013:

Saturday, Aug. 3, 2013
“Imagine That.” Utilizing the exhibit “Dealing in Symbols: Profundity and the Human Figure” as a backdrop, guided tours will explore the life and work of the noted Wilmington sculptor Charles Parks and his contributions to American art. Visitors will have an opportunity to create an interactive sculpture as an element of the tour. First Saturday in the First State program. First State Heritage Park Welcome Center and Galleries, Delaware Public Archives building, 121 Duke of York St., Dover, DE 19901. Tours at 10 a.m., Noon and 2 p.m. Museum open 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-744-5055.

Saturday, Aug. 3, 2013
“The Era of Prohibition in Delaware.” First Saturday in the First State program on Prohibition in Delaware features an interactive performance/presentation in which historic-site interpreters explore the state’s ratification of the 18th amendment, its attempts to enforce the law, and its ratification of the 21st amendment repealing Prohibition. The Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover, DE19901. Performances at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Museum open 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-744-5055.

Saturday, Aug. 3, 2013
“Speakeasy.” Musical presentation by DonDel productions in which the museum will be transformed into a speakeasy (minus the alcohol) featuring 1920s smooth blues. Guests are invited to come in “twenties” dress. First Saturday in the First State program. Johnson Victrola Museum, 375 S. New St., Dover, DE19901. Performances at 1 and 3 p.m. Museum open 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-744-5055.

Mondays, Aug. 5, 12, 19 and 26, 2013
Lecture/tours of His Majesty’s Sloop DeBraak. Explore the history of the DeBraak which was capsized and lost off the Delaware coast on May 25, 1798. Program includes a trip to the hull facility in nearby Cape Henlopen State Park for a curator-led tour of the surviving section of the ship’s hull. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes, DE 19958. Programs at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Limited seating. Admission $10 in advance by reservation only at http://shop.delaware.gov/. For additional information, call 302-645-1148.

Wednesdays, Aug. 7, 14, 21 and 28, 2013
“Weaving Wednesdays.” Staff-led program in which visitors will learn how to weave a blanket or rag rug. John Dickinson Plantation, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover, DE19901. Program 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Museum open 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-739-3277.

Saturday, Aug. 10, 2013
“Raiding the Mansion—Plundering the House of all its Provisions.” Learn about the Tory raid on the mansion through a special tour, and through examination of letters and primary documents. John Dickinson Plantation, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover, DE19901. Program 10:30 a.m.–Noon. Museum open 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-739-3277.

Saturday, Aug. 10, 2013
Demonstrations by the Thistledown Fiber Arts Guild. Program explores spinning, weaving, knitting and other fabric arts. John Dickinson Plantation, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover, DE19901. Program 1–3 p.m. Museum open 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-739-3277.

Saturday, Aug. 17, 2013
“Founding of the Colony of New Sweden.” In conjunction with the month-long visit of the tall ship Kalmar Nyckel to Lewes, Bill Hutchison, education coordinator of the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, will discuss the 1638 establishment of Fort Christina, the first permanent non-native settlement in Delaware. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes, DE19958. Program at 2 p.m. Museum open 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Free admission. 302-645-1148.

Administered by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, the six museums of the state of Delaware—New Castle Court House Museum, John Dickinson Plantation, First State Heritage Park Welcome Center and Galleries, The Old State House, Johnson Victrola Museum and Zwaanendael Museum—tell the story of Delaware’s contributions to the history and culture of the United States. Through displays, exhibits and special programs, the museums explore how the state’s distinctive physical environment, in combination with the people who came to live there, gave Delaware an identity that is different from any other place.

  -End-

Contact:
Jim Yurasek
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Phone:  302-736-7413
E-mail:  Jim.Yurasek@delaware.gov
Web:   http://history.delaware.gov

Print